Hell were the first band to grace the main stage on Sunday. I’d heard a lot of good things about them, with their most recent albums exceptional sales and success being the most notable factor. Simon knew a couple of the bands who were playing early on in the New Blood tent, so he took control of the camera for the first couple of hours. But with ten minutes to spare before resigning to his photographic duties, I asked him to stick around and take some pictures of a band I wanted to know more about.
Hell’s idea of a gig isn’t just playing a bunch of songs and saying thanks for coming, they take the stage as actors, using props, reciting lines, and using special effects whilst telling a story. Almost like a Broadway musical, the scripted acting in between introduces an idea, while the song that follows, reinforces the concept and tells a story about it. Very clever stuff and entertaining to watch.
Whilst sitting quite comfortably in the throne of the NWOBHM, Hell’s approach to performance takes a different twist. It’s a bit like watching Iron Maiden, but instead of Dickinson ranting on about some political issues, David Bower tells you a macabre tale of hell and all its evils. Bruce attempts to socially connect by sharing his opinions and addressing the audience like welcome buddies, whereas Bower’s approach, is to take you to the places he describes; he wants you to get lost in his stories and imagery. These are two completely different methods of engagement within the same genre of music, but two very effective ones. But a bare-chested Bower started whipping himself at one point, which was a little bit too much for me so I went to find Simon.
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